Work will start next week on new fair buildings

Published 12:00 am Monday, November 25, 2002

Bob Radloff was busting his buttons with pride Thursday afternoon.

"This has been in the works since 1950 and the day has finally arrived," said Radloff. "That's when the fair board said 'Build us an ag display building'. We had to wait 52 years to see it happen, but it just goes to show you that patience and persistence pays off."

The payoff is a new agricultural display building for the Mower County Historical Society, plus three other multi-purpose livestock buildings surrounding historic Crane Pavilion.

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Wagner Construction Company, Inc. submitted the low bid of $1,704,352 and was awarded a contract by the Mower County Board of Commissioners to perform the historic face-lift to the fairgrounds in southwest Austin.

The firm's crews began soil corrections Monday and expect to finish their work today. Next week, the first concrete footings will be poured for the 60-by-120 foot agricultural display building.

Sometime soon, David Spinler and his Spinler Excavating crew will begin demolishing three old livestock buildings around Crane Pavilion to make way next spring for construction of the three new 80-by-200 foot multi-purpose buildings.

Official ground-breaking ceremonies were held Thursday afternoon for the new agricultural display building to be constructed in the far southeast corner of the fairgrounds and behind the Mower County Historical Society's historical center.

A large crowed of well-wishers attended, including member os the Mower County Board, Mower County Fair Board, Mower County Historical Society directors and others.

Brendahn Wagner pulled his son, Luke, 4, into the picture frame, when the designated participants grabbed the gold shovels for the first scoops of dirt to commemorate the occasion.

Radloff, the former fair board member and long-time historical society board member, escorted Ella Marie Lausen into the picture.

Fifty-two years ago, Lausen was a historical society board member and the fair board's office manager.

"As I said Saturday at the annual meeting of the historical society," Lausen began, "three words describe this occasion: vision, faith and patience. Here we are today with all three ingredients to this project.

"I am especially happy for the 50-year farmers, who were honored in 1947 and actually were the first to propose having a building for all of the agricultural displays to come. Then, when the Historical Society was formed in 1949, it was Will Phillip of Dexter who made the motion that actually got the ball rolling. Those farmers, whose tractors and other machinery we have today would be especially pleased at what is being done."

This is not Wagner Construction's first fairgrounds project. According to family patriarch, John Wagner, the firm built the first Historical Center building -- the Pioneer Hall -- in 1949 and the second Crane Pavilion in 1952 after a fire destroyed the first livestock exhibition hall.

The elder Wagner was also bursting with pride Thursday.

"This is the 90th anniversary for Wagner Construction," he said. "My father, Nick, came here from Hastings in 1912 to build a barn along Mower County No. 3. He liked the area so much, he decided to stay," said Wagner.

Garry Ellingson, 5th District Mower County commissioner, was another excited bystander.

"This is great," he said. "We've needed this for years and to be on the county board we're able to help make things happen at the fairgrounds is especially satisfying."

Richard P. Cummings, 1st District Mower County commissioner and dean of the county board after 26 years of public service, said, "This project has been in the making for over 50 years. It's good to see progress like this happen on the fairgrounds. We've taken smaller steps here before, but this is a giant step."

Loren Hanson, of rural Grand Meadow, is the fair board president. "This is an important day for all of us."

Among the many, many historical items waiting for permanent display at the Historical Center are items donated from the Bear Creek Band, a decades-old organization from Hanson's roots in eastern Mower County.

The new building will give all historical items and particularly those with an agricultural background a place of dignity out of the elements and away from harm's way.

The new historical society building and the three new multi-purpose livestock buildings should be ready for use in time for the August 2003 Mower County Fair.

"That's going to be some county fair next summer when we have all these new buildings ready," said Hanson.

Shirley DeYoung, administrator for the historical society, was credited by insiders with helping push the project to fruitions since she joined the organization as an employee in 1989.

"I think it's wonderful," she said. "Everybody has worked so hard for so long to get this building."

According to DeYoung, she will be contacting all 20 of the county's township boards to seek their interest in having an exhibited displayed next summer in the new building.

Final words came from Lausen, who literally has seen it all happen in a lifetime of Mower County Fairgrounds memories.

"The county board has given the residents of Mower County a wonderful gift," she said.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com